Abstract
Cosmic Rays with energies above 1018 eV are denoted as Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays (UHECRs). Their Larmor radius is so large that their arrival direction could correlate with the position of the source, if their origin is Galactic. The non-observation of anisotropies from the Galactic plane, even at the highest energies, and the evidence for a large scale anisotropy above 8 × 1018 eV pointing away from the Galactic plane, strengthens the conjecture that UHECRs are likely produced in extragalactic objects. The method used to detect UHECRs is based on the use of the Earth’s atmosphere as a target. Secondary charged particles are measured by arrays of particle detectors at ground level and the fluorescence light produced by the longitudinal development of the showers by mean of particular optical telescopes. The current generation of UHECR detectors, the Pierre Auger Observatory in Argentina and the Telescope Array experiment in Utah, are hybrids, with both surface detector arrays and fluorescence detectors observing at the same site. The goal of these very large experiments is to measure accurately the flux of UHECRs, to understand their nature and to provide evidence of correlations of arrival directions at the highest energies with the large-scale distribution of matter in the near-by Universe. After an introduction on the large-scale structure of the Universe, all these aspects are covered in this chapter.
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- 1.
Given the Hubble constant and the fact that z ≃ v∕c, when v ≪ c, it is straightforward to derive that 30 Mpc corresponds to z ≃ 0.007. Compare this value with the scale of Fig. 7.3.
- 2.
The spherical supergalactic coordinates system has its equator aligned with the supergalactic plane, a major structure in the local Universe formed by the preferential distribution of nearby galaxy clusters (such as the Virgo cluster, the Great Attractor and the Pisces-Perseus supercluster).
- 3.
The first stars formed in the Universe correspond to the hypothetical population III stars . Their existence is inferred from cosmology: they have not yet been observed directly and only indirect evidence exists. They are supposed to be extremely massive and hot, with virtually no metals, except possibly for intermixing ejecta from other nearby Pop III supernovas. Their existence may account for the fact that heavy elements are observed in quasar emission spectra.
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Spurio, M. (2018). The Extragalactic Sources and Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays. In: Probes of Multimessenger Astrophysics. Astronomy and Astrophysics Library. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-96854-4_7
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